A 12-year-old male tiger captured in Gudalur after being linked to the suspected deaths of two people will be moved to the rehabilitation centre at Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur, Chennai, after forest officials determined that it cannot safely be released into the wild.
The tiger was caught in a cage near Gudalur in the early hours of Friday, following a 28-day search operation by the forest department. Officials used camera traps, cages, kumki elephants and drone cameras during the operation, which involved significant manpower across the Nilgiris district.
According to a forest department release, a technical guidance committee examined the tiger in accordance with guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The committee found that the animal’s canine teeth had worn down and that it was in a weakened physical condition. On that basis, officials concluded that there was no possibility of releasing it back into the wild.
The tiger was taken to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve after its capture, where officials confirmed that it was responsible for the deaths of M Balakrishnan on August 9 and K Ravikumar on August 21, according to the report. The authorities have described the animal as being involved in the two deaths that triggered the prolonged search and capture effort.
The transfer to Vandalur places the tiger in the zoo’s rehabilitation facility rather than returning it to its forest habitat. The decision reflects the forest department’s assessment that the animal’s physical condition and reported history made release unsuitable under the applicable wildlife-management guidelines.
The operation also involved the capture of two leopards. Both were subsequently released back into the reserve forest area, distinguishing their cases from that of the tiger, which officials said would not be released because of its weakened condition and worn canine teeth.
Vandalur previously received another tiger captured after a human death. The last man-eating tiger relocated there was identified as MTRT 37, an adult tiger moved to the facility in 2025 after it killed a 65-year-old tribal woman.
Forest officials said the Gudalur tiger was expected to reach the Vandalur rehabilitation centre in the early hours of Saturday. Its arrival will mark the next stage in the department’s response to a case that combined public-safety concerns, a prolonged forest search and the question of whether a captured wild animal can be returned to its habitat.
